Thai-Flavored Tossed Salad with Peanut Dressing

Inspired by the house salads I’ve enjoyed at Thai restaurants, this is the perfect side companion to Asian-style noodle or rice dishes. Or, a larger portion can serve as the centerpiece of a meal alongside a simple tofu or tempeh dish. Who knows if this salad resembles anything from authentic Thai cuisine, but either way, it’s refreshing and flavorful.

Colorful and inviting, this salad features the usual suspects — lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and pepper — but what gives it a little something extra is the addition of broccoli and pineapple. Then, it’s made extra luscious with a coconut peanut dressing. As I often do, I offer a shortcut option using a bottled Thai peanut satay sauce, which has similar ingredients, and then some.

You’ll wonder why you don’t use this kind of rich, nutty dressing on your salads — homemade or store-bought — more often. Anyone who’s kind of “meh” about salads could very well be converted!

Yield: 3 to 4

Thai-Flavored Tossed Salad

Inspired by the house salad I’ve enjoyed at Thai restaurants, this is the perfect side companion to Asian-style noodle or rice dishes.